Mankind’s Largest Supply Chain [Infographic]

By Brian Wallace | Yahoo Small Business

Supply chain management (SCM) includes all the activities that must be executed to ensure that the right product is delivered to the right consumer in the right quantity and at the right time. This process typically involves several components: planning and forecasting, purchasing, product assembly, moving, storage, distribution, sales and customer service. In the highly competitive world we live in today, supply chain management and logistics has become an essential ingredient to successful global business operations. As such, earning a degree in supply chain management is an excellent way to open new doors. Professionals who can facilitate the flow of products and information between organizations, suppliers and customers in the most efficient way can expect excellent job opportunities.

These professionals should even be able to handle mankind’s largest supply chain—the space supply chain. In 2011, the global space economy (commercial revenues and government budgets) grew to $289.77 billion. To manage such a massive operation, NASA has over 1,500 suppliers in its supply chain. The goal here? It’s to safely deliver human beings and advanced technology between Earth and Space using the lowest amount of weight possible. The next step involves depots on asteroids that could create living conditions in space, cut costs in mining and fuel spending on Earth and enable restocking of gas, water and air in space. Clearly, this is a field you may want to get into.

Logistician employment is projected to grow by 26 percent, which is 14 percent faster than the average expected growth for all occupations from 2010 to 2020. To learn more, check out the infographic below presented by Florida Tech Online.